My fiance is pregnant. The due date is for June. We are both Europeans.
From our understanding, if she delivers our child in TW without us being married, I will not be able to be on the birth certificate. We, however, heard that this only applies if one of the two parents is Taiwanese and that it is different for foreigners.
Currently, we are planning to do a quick trip to the EU to have a civil wedding in February and have a big happy party in one of our countries in the Fall. It is however a bit heavy in terms of organisation and finances. It would be great if we could do everything in the Fall.
Has anyone heard of two foreigners having a baby in Taiwan without being married? What happens at birth?
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I don’t have advice but … congratulations!
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According to this article, the kid can stay til 18 in Taiwan and then has to meet APRC requirements to continue staying (finding a job with double the min. wage): https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202311090011
There’s some special requirements if you both have APRC and are “foreign special professionals” or “foreign high-level professionals”
I am not sure if marriage is a requirement (the article didn’t say)
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How about get the wedding done in Taiwan then enjoy a ceremony in EU in Fall.
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Yes, just get married in a Taiwan civic office, you’ll need two witnesses and a personal stamp each. then you get a fancy certificate and you’re legasl in Taiwan.
but they never tell anyone, especially if not asked, and you can get married properly in your home country later. then you’ll have two official weddings, and can choose whichever details suit you at the time.
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I heard of at least one case when the Taipei office abroad refused to recognise the wedding in TW of two foreigners. Also getting a certificate of singleness can be impossible in some countries (and we are not from English speaking countries which add a layer of translation and notarisation)
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Is this something you know of directly?
Are you thinking of @Fuzzy_Barbecue ? If both of you come from countries that do not have a national marriage registry then it will probably be fine to register your marriage in Taiwan. If one of your countries has a national marriage registry then I think most people would recommend you to get married in one of your home countries first, then register it in the other persons country (if you’re from different countries) then in Taiwan last (if needed)
Particularly if you plan on staying in Taiwan long term or naturalising in the future
There are alternatives that are accepted. For example Americans can provide an affidavit witnessed by the de facto embassy. Australians can submit a single certificate from any of the Australian states and territories (making it a rather pointless exercise cos anyone could just get a single document from another state even if they’re married).
But if you can’t get one from your country there will be an acceptable alternative, figuring out what that is might be difficult though.
Also if you don’t want get married just yet there is a way for Taiwanese men to sign a document claiming they’re the father of a child if the child is born where the couples isn’t married. I’m not sure of the details though and I don’t know if there is a similar option for foreigners
And congratulations 
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Yes, but in that case child may not have the father’s last name.
Can’t the mother choose a name for the child? If they want the child to keep the same name as the father could she choose that?
(My nephew has a different surname to both of his parents, my sister has a different surname to both of my parents)
First name(s) sure, last-name possibly? I do not know. It may be up to discretion of the hospital or clinic, or there may be rules about it.